RICHMOND, Va. - In preparation for the expansion of the Colonial Athletic Association to 12 teams beginning in 2005-06, the league's athletic directors have approved a new six-year schedule for men's and women's basketball.

Teams will play 18 conference games under the new format, and the league will not be separated into divisions. All teams will face each other at least once during the regular season.

Each team has five permanent partners that it will play home and away every year. In an attempt to maintain as many traditional rivalries as possible, athletics directors were given the opportunity to request three teams they wished to have as permanent partners and each school was granted those preferences.

The remaining six opponents are grouped into three pairs that rotate through the schedule every two years. Each season a team will face one pair of opponents both home and away, while playing the other four foes either home or away. Using this rotation, each team in the CAA will host every league member at least four times in the six-year schedule.

"The CAA staff and the athletic directors spent a considerable amount of time discussing and fine-tuning this schedule, and we are pleased with the final product," CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager said. "Having permanent partners allows schools to maintain their traditional rivals that are so important to fans and alumni. However, the group also felt it was important to have all teams face each other at least once each season as we bring two new members into the conference and build new rivalries."